AGG - USG AddOn - Jan 2006 - Spring

AGG

Winter 2006

Products

Solarban 70 XL Solar Control Low-E Glass

Solarban 70 XL glass is a new solar control low-E product designed to offer high solar control and visible light transmittance properties with a transparent, color-neutral appearance.

In introducing the product, officials at PPG Industries Inc. said the performance characteristics have the potential to generate unprecedented energy savings in commercial buildings where glazing is a major architectural element.

According to Mark Fanelli, director of new products for PPG Flat Glass, the most dramatic energy savings with Solarban 70 XL glass will be realized in a building’s upfront construction costs. “Because this product offers such a high level of solar control, we believe architects and building owners will be able to significantly downsize the equipment required to cool their buildings,” he said. “Depending on the size of the structure, this could save hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

In a standard one-inch insulating glass unit, Solarban 70 XL has a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.27 with a visible light transmittance (VLT) of 63 percent. According to the supplier, that equates to a light to solar gain (LSG) ratio of 2.33.

The LSG ratio of a glass is critical to architects, especially those involved in sustainable building, because it quantifies the amount of natural light an architectural glass transmits into a building in relation to the amount of solar energy it keeps out. High VLT is desired because high levels of daylighting lessen the need for artificial lighting while producing a more pleasant work environment. High levels of solar control, on the other hand, help reduce the demand for air conditioning and other energy-consuming climate controls.

According to Fanelli, a recent study conducted by an independent energy and environmental research firm compared the energy-saving potential of Solarban 70 XL glass to several other high-performance solar control low-E glasses. The study involved 270 energy simulations for three common building types in nine different cities across the U.S. Utility rates and other local factors related to each of those locales also were factored into the review.

Testing showed that specification of Solarban 70 XL glass could defray initial capital costs for cooling equipment by as much as 26 percent. Comparable equipment cost savings were realized in each of the 270 energy consumption scenarios. The testing also showed that annual cooling costs for each building were cut 3-5 percent, producing projected savings of up to $400,000 over a 20-year span.

On the design side, the product’s neutral appearance allows it to be used to produce a clear aesthetic or it may be combined, in an insulating glass unit, with tinted glass.

When combined with tints from the Oceans of Color collection of spectrally selective glasses, Solarban 70 XL glass produces a VLT as great as 56 percent and SHGCs of 0.28 to 0.32. The resulting LSG ratios are from 1.72 to 1.75.

The combination of Solarban 70 XL glass with Solargray and Solarbronze glasses, two performance tinted glasses from PPG, offer LSG ratios of 1.33 to 1.46, with VLT of 32 to 38 percent and SHGC of 0.29 and 0.26, respectively.

Solarban 70 XL glass is available exclusively through PPG’s certified fabricator network and will be available in all commercial lehr end sizes in early 2006.

A white paper PPG has prepared detailing potential energy savings with Solarban 70 XL glass is available by calling 888/PPG-IDEA; information on the product is also available at www.ppgideascapes.com.

Joel Berman Glass Studios Announces New Partnerships

Joel Berman Glass Studios of Vancouver has announced new partnerships with Kwik-Wall and Technical Glass Products (TGP).

Through the agreement with Kwik-Wall, the four Berman editions designer glass textures are available as a standardized tempered glass option with Clear-Division moveable wall systems. The Clear-Divisions are operable walls made of glass that can be used in applications such as storefronts, banking centers, hotels, airports and corporate meeting facilities.

In addition, Joel Berman Glass Studios is collaborating with Pilkington Fire Protection Glass North America and TGP to create new choices in decorative, fire-rated glass that also has impact-safety ratings as required.

Through the agreement, Berman textured glass products can be combined with either Pilkington Pyrostop or the FireLite family of products, available through TGP, to achieve fire ratings from 20 minutes to three hours.

www.jbermanglass.com or call 800/505-GLASS.